Dolinkova to Face No-confidence Vote, Opposition Hands in Signatures

Bratislava, May 2 (TASR) - Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova (Voice-SD) should face a no-confidence motion in Parliament, as the opposition has handed in signatures to call an extraordinary session to that end, TASR learnt on Thursday. According to the Rules of Procedure, the session should be convened within seven days of the motion. The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS), Christian Democrats (KDH) and 'Slovakia' parties see several reasons for the minister's ouster, explaining that problems of the health-care sector, such as the collapsing outpatient sector and the shortage of nurses, haven't been addressed. They've also drawn attention to a threat to EU funds and a "non-transparent" decision in connection with the construction of a university hospital, which was originally set to be built in the Razsochy area of Bratislava. Meanwhile, the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party didn't support the convening of the session, explaining that some of the opposition politicians are also responsible for some of the problems for which they want to dismiss the minister. At the beginning of the week, the minister said that the opposition initiative is "miserable politicking" and shows the desperation of MPs Marek Krajci ('Slovakia', KU, For the People caucus) and Oskar Dvorak (Progressive Slovakia/PS). Dolinkova stressed that this is also indicated by an expert view of the SaS party, adding that Razsochy hospital is a failure of the governments of both Eduard Heger and Ludovit Odor, for whom MPs Dvorak and Krajci worked. am/df